Valve



June 22, 1954 1 SOGN ET AL 2,681,661

VALVE Filed May 24, 1949 l.. a Y l` 24 a2 28 30 36 "6 za INVENTORS HAROLD J- SOGN EUGENE A, HNAWAY ATTORNEY Patented June 22, 1954 VALVE Harold J. Sogn and Eugene A. Hanaway, Oakland, Calif.

Application May 24, 1949, Serial No. 95,026

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in valves for flushing tanks and other tanks where the valve is to be closed automatically when the level of the i'luid in the tank reaches a predetermined point.

This invention solves the problem of noise in the lling of tanks used in ushing closets. Where powder' rooms are located close to living quarters, it is possible to flush toilet facilities equipped with the present invention without any perceptible noise as the tank is refilled.

The reason the present invention is able to accomplish this novel and long sought result is because the device closes the valve quickly and does not throttle down the rlow gradually, with the hissing noise familiar in present day devices.

This is accomplished by having a neat conn trolled needle valve start to close an oriiice in a iiexible diaphragm and then having the pressure which builds up in the chamber behind the diaphragm move the orifice against the needle valve with a substantial quick thrust to close the valve. The force of the float tending to move the needle valve in ons direction is completely counteracted by the force or the greater pressure applied by the diaphragm on the needle valve so that the diaphragm tends to depress the float. On models of the device tested so far, the diaphragm has built up enough pressure against the needle valve and the actuating oat to push the iioat down into the water about an inch more than normal. How far it depresses the float depends, of course, upon the pressure in the water system serving the home.

The present invention might be characterized as obtaining a compound or double closing movement in the sense that the iloat lifts the needle valve while the downward pressure on the diaphragm moves the orifice against the needle valve to eiect Aa quick-closing and holding closed of the needle valve on its seat. The closing of the valve does not have to await the slow rising of the oat as the water now is tapered on?,

Once the needle valve begins to throttle its diaphragm orice the diaphragm covering the main inlet orince moves into closed position with a smooth, quick, damped action. The turning oil of the water by this new valve takes only a` to this structure, except as required by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and partly in section of the device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View in elevation of a modication.

The invention is shown in the drawings as mounted in the tank of a water closet. It may be used in any device in which a predetermined water level within a certain range is desired to be maintained automatically.

ln a tank it an opening II is provided to receive the threaded end I2 of an inlet pipe I3 by means of which water under pressure is introduced into the tank. The inlet pipe I3 is secured in the opening with a suitable packing I4 and a clamping nut I5. A nipple I6 is threaded into the inlet pipe I3.

On the inlet pipe I3 is supported the Valve mechanism which includes the frame Il, the main valve at I8 and the needle valve at I9 with the float 2li pivoted at 2i to the frame Il in position to move and be moved by the needle valve stem 22. The inlet pipe I3 terminates in an outlet orince 23 positioned to be engaged by the diaphragm 26 when the latter is flexed in a downward direction and to be uncovered by the diaphragm 2li when the diaphragm is flexed in the opposite direction.

The two valves I3 and I9 are mounted in separate chambers and have separate diaphragms 24 and 25 respectively. Actually the material of the diaphragms 24 and 25 may for convenience be a continuous molded element suitably clamped between the housing members 25 and 2l. The diaphragm elements may be easily replaced because the upper housing member 26 and the lower housing member 2l are held together by a clamp 28 which engages beneath the frame Il at 29. The clamp engages the strongback 30 which presses on the top housing member 26. A screw 3| holds the diaphragms 24 and 25 under suitable tension between the two housing members 26 and 2l.

When the diaphragms are clamped between the two housing members, the main valve upper chamber `32 is cut off from the needle valve upper chamber 33 except for asmall connecting conduit 34. The needle valve diaphragm 25 preferably has a strengthening rim 35 around theorice 36 into which the needle valve I9 projects. This orice 36 and needle valve I9 are shown as tapered, but they may be made in any other suitable mating shape. Likewise, the diaphragm 25 may be of the Sylphon bellows or piston type arranged to function in the manner described herein.

The orice 3l in the main valve diaphragm 2li is in the area embraced by the outlet orifice 23 and preferably is a hole measuring about .093 t .G inch in diameter. When this diaphragm is closed down on the orice 23 the diaphragm shuts o the ow of water into the tank through the openings i5 but the hole 3l allows the water pressure to be passed into the two upper chambers 3:2 and 33 to act on the diaphragms 22 and 25.

The orifice 3l may be omitted from the diaphragm 2d, in which case it will completely seal off the orifice 23. In this case, as shown in Fig. 3, there may be a conduit 32a connectedbetween the inlet tube i3 and the upper chamber areas. 1t is shown connected into the chamber 32, but it could as well connect anywhere in the housing 2S because the chambers 32 and 33 are connected by the conduit 3ft.

The needle valve stem 22 preferably is loosely mounted in the guide-way 3S so that its sealing end le can iind a good seating position in the orice 33. Any fluid passing through the orifice 35 into the chamber 53 will pass between the stem 22 and the guide-way 33 or through the opening 5l and will spill into the catch basin 39 on the frame il and will iiow down into the tank along the outside of the hush tube i3 so as not to drip directly into the water and cause a dripping noise. in the construction used for illustration7 the clearance between the needle valve stem 22 and the guide-way 33 should be about .020 inch. When the lower chamber 5t is omitted, as it may be, the needle valve stem 22 need only be a sliding fit in its guide. However, the form preferred allows the valve member i9 sufiicient sidewise motion to align itself with the oriiice 3e if these parts should not be concentric.

The iloat 2Q is suspended on the end of a rod il@ pivoted at 2i to the frame ll and it has a lever il with a surface Vill-2 adapted to engage with a minimum of friction against the lower end of the valve stern 22.

To silence the flow of water from the orifice 23 into the tank a hush tube 43 with air ports id may be provided around the inlet tube i3. It receives the water which comes through the orifice 23 and through the opening or openings 45.

When this invention is being used in connection with `water closets, it is preferable to have a refill tube 46 with one end @l emptying into the overflow outlet directly into the bowl and with its other end d3 positioned in the chamber de to receive water iiowing from the orifice 23. The purpose of this tube is to feed enough water into the bowl to bring the water level in the bowl up to the desired level after a flushing operation.

The size of the openings i5 and the tube d6 in relation to the outlet 23 is important for several reasons. It is preferred that the total area of the openings t5 and the tube i6 should be less than the area of the outlet 23 so that the water in the chamber 49 is under some pressure. Not only does this assure a flow of water through the refill tube t5, but the pressure acts to damp the diaphragm 24 as the greater pressure in the chamber 32 and its own resiliency moves it down to close the orifice 23. Sometimes a chattering will result if the water in chamber i3 is not under pressure.

Y The lower chamber 5t is not absolutely essential to the operation of the device if a support for the needle valve I9 adjacent the diaphragm 25 is provided. From a manufacturing and operational standpoint, the structure of Fig. 1 is presently preferred, but it is not intended to give the impression that the lower chamber 50 is essential to the successful operation of the device.

Operation Beginning with the tank empty as at the end of a iiushing cycle, water entering through the inlet conduit i3 from asuitable source of water supply has forced the diaphragm 24 off the outlet orice 23 into the dotted line position 24a allowing water to iiow out of the outlet 23 into the chamber it where it is under some pressure and to flow through the openingsl into the hush tube 3 and into the tank it.

Water also is being forced from the chamber 49 through the small orifice 31 (or the conduit 31a in the modification in Fig. 3) into the chamber 32 and through the conduit 3G into the chamber 33 where it passes through the orifice 36 and down around the needle valve stem 22 into the catch basin 39 and then falls into the tank.

When the v/ater level in the tank l) rises to about the desired level the oat 23 will have moved upwardly to the point where the needle valve I9 is entering the orice 36. A5 the needle valve begins to close down this orifice the ow of water through the orice 36 Will be impeded; therefore with less water passing through the orice 35 than is passing through the orifice 31, the water pressure `will, build up in the chambers 32 and 33 and will cause the diaphragms 24 and 25 to move downwardly. The diaphragm 24 will close over the orifice 23 and the diaphragm 25 will move the orifice 36 against the needle valve i9. The effect of this action by the diaphragm 2e is to stop the water from entering the tank l0 through the orifice 23. The effect on the diaphragm 25 is to make a positive quick seal at the orifice 36 with the needle valve because the pressure of the water on the diaphragm 25 presses the orice 36 against the needle valve I9 to close the orifice. This downward movement of the diaphragm 25 continues and actually causes the iioat 2 to be pushed down into the water in the tank. The closing is effected by a compound or double sealing movement, rlrst the lifting of the valve i9 by the float 2@ followed as soon as the orifice 36 begins to close by a downward movement of the orifice 35 onto the needle valve I9. These movements combine to eifect a quick closing and holding closed of the needle valve I9 in the orifice 36. Once the needle valve E3 is moved up to where it begins to restrict the orice 36 the closing is completed in a few seconds.

This quick closing is accomplished by having a float controlled needle valve partially close an orifice in a flexible diaphragm, which causes the pressure to build up in the chamber above the diaphragm, which causes the diaphragm to move toward the needle valve. This movement of the orice toward the foat supported needle valve effects a closing action which is quick and silent. It is a result which apparently cannot be achieved, where all the moving is done by the float supported needle valve.

On present day devices one of the reasons for the noise as the iilling operation reaches the end of its cycle is thefact that the orice of the float controlled valve is only slowly closed as the float rises. The noise isgenerated by the velocity the entering water attains as it is forced through the narrowing opening.

The compound closing movement of thepresent invention effects the closing of the needle valve almost instantaneously and with practically no detectable sound.

Returning now to the operation of the device when the water is emptied from the tank l the iioat 2i! drops in the tank. rIhis pulls the lever 4l away from the needle valve 22. rThe water pressure in the orifice 35i immediately pushes the needle valve ld away from the orice, thereby relieving the pressure in the chambers 32 and 33. This allows the pressure in the conduit i3 to lift the diaphragm 2d from the orice 23 and the tank begins to iill. As stated at the outset, when the float 2t reaches a predetermined point it will have moved the needle valve is partway into the orifice 35 of the diaphragm 25. When `this restriction occurs the `pressure in the chambers e2 and 33 builds up so that the diaphragm 2d flexes downwardly to close the orifice 23 on the main water supply and as the water pressure continues to enter through the oriiice 3l, or through the conduit Sid (Fig. 3), into the chamber 33 it causes the diaphragm to move downwardly and to meet the upwardly moving needle valve i9.

While the conventional ball and arm form of oat have been shown, any other type of iioat mechanism may be employed so long as it imparts to the needle valve i9 a lift when it is desired te restrict the orifice 35 and eventually close it and which will release the needle valve i9 when the water level in the tank drops below a predetermined point.

Where the invention is used in a water closet, water from the chamber i9 enters the refill tube 46 at its opening d8 and empties from the outlet 4l into the over-ow pipe of the bowl so as to bring the level of the water in the bowl to a predetermined point. The pressure maintained in the chamber i9 whenever the orifice 23 is uncovered forces the water through the rell tube 4B and the pressure also serves as a cushion or damping means to eliminate any chatter as the diaphragm 212'. seats on the orifice 23.

What is claimed is:

1. In. a valve mechanism for filling a tank with liquid to a predetermined level, the combination of: a first valve housing; a rst exible diaphragm mounted therein to divide said housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said `lower chamber having outlet means therein emptying into said tank; an inlet conduit opening into said lower chamber, the outlet orifice of said conduit being engaged and closed by said diaphragm when said diaphragm is exed down-` wardly and being uncovered and opened when said diaphragm is iiexed upwardly; means forming a small restricted passageway through which liquid from said inlet conduit may pass into said upper chamber; a second valve housing; a second flexible diaphragm mounted therein dividing said second housing into an upper chamber and a lower portion, said lower portion having an outlet emptying into said tank, said second diaphragm having an orice therethrough; a needle valve mounted in a guide way in said lower housing portion and having its valve portion. movable to open, to restrict, and to close said orifice in said second diaphragm; float means in said tank adapted to move and to be moved by said needle valve; and a conduit of restricted area connecting together the upper chambers of said first and second housings.

2. The device or" claim l in which the outlet from said lower chamber has less capacity than said inlet conduit so that the duid in said lower chamber is under pressure whenever said conduit orice is uncovered by said rst diaphragm.

3. The device of claim l in which said small restricted passageway comprises a small opening through said rst diaphragm in the portion encircled by said outlet oriiice when said orifice is in engagement with said diaphragm.

4. The device of claim 1 in which said small restricted passageway comprises a tube leading from said inlet conduit through said first housing to the upper chamber thereof.

5. L1 a valve mechanism for iilling a tank to a predetermined level, the combination of iirst and second chambers each having a 'flexible diaphragm forming one face thereof, the diaphragm forming the face of said second chamber having a perforation therethrough; a small conduit of restricted area connecting said chambers together; a liquid conduit having its outletpositioned adjacent the diaphragm forming the face of the rst chamber, on the side opposite said iirst chamber, said diaphragm being adapted to seal said outlet when iiexed in one direction and to uncover said outlet when iiexed in the other direction; means forming a small passageway of restricted cross-section through which liquid from said conduit may at all times pass into said rst chamber; a needle valve supported adjacent the diaphragm forming the face of said second chamber, on the side opposite from said second chamber, in line with said perforation; float means adapted to move said needle valve to restrict said perforation when the liquid in said tank reaches a predetermined level thereby causing pressure to build up in said second chamber and forcing said second chamber diaphragm down onto said valve, closing said valve; `and a third chamber for which said rst chamber diaphragm forms one face, in which said conduit outlet is enclosed and, when uncovered, empties into said third chamber having openings through which the liquid flows to ll the tank, said openings being of less total capacity than the capacity of said conduit, whereby the liquid in said `third chamber is under pressure at all timeswhen said iirst chamber diaphragm is being forced onto its seat on the end of said conduit.

6. in a valve mechanism for stopping the iiow under pressure of liquid through an inlet `pipe having an outlet orifice, the combination of: a pair of interconnected valves; the iirst said valve including a movable, pressure-sensitive, closing means adapted to seat on said inlet orifice when the pressure exerted on said means on the side opposite said orice exceeds the pressure exerted on it on said orifice side; the second said valve including a rst movable valve member and a second movable pressure-sensitive, complementary valve member; housing means cooperating with said pressure-sensitive closing means to form a rst chamber on the same side of said closing means as said orifice and a second chamber on the opposite side of said closing means from said orifice; housing means cooperating with said second movable valve member to form a third chamber on the opposite side of said second movable valve member from said rst movable valve member; a small conduit of restricted cross-section connecting said second :and third chambers; a small passageway of restricted cross section through which liquid from said inlet pipe passes into said second chamber; and means for moving said first valve member to diminish the oW of liquid through said movable complementary valve member, whereby the pressure of the liquid in both said second and third chambers increases and eiects movement rst of said movable complementary valve member onto said iirst movable valve member and then of said movable pressure-sensitive closing member on said orifice.

7. The device of claim 6 in which the housing enclosing said orice and the orice-contacting side of said perforated, movable, pressure-sensitive, closing means has outlet means of less iiuid capacity than said orifice, whereby pressure against said closing member is maintained in said housing whenever said closing member is away from said orifice.

8. In a quietly operating valve mechanism for iilling a tank and a bowl with liquid to a predetermined level, the combination of: a first valve housing; a rst flexible diaphragm mounted generally horizontally therein to divide said housing into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said lower chamber having first and second outlet means therefrom; a generally Vertical inlet conduit opening into said lower chamber, the outlet oriiice Vof said conduit being engaged and closed by said diaphragm when said diaphragm is flexed downwardly and being uncovered and opened by said diaphragm when said diaphragm is flexed upwardly, said inlet conduit having greater capacity than both said lower chamber outlet means together, so that the liquid in said 0 lower chamber is under pressure whenever said conduit orifice is uncovered; a generally vertical hush tube of greater diameter than said conduit and generally concentric therewith, open at its lower end into said tank with air ports near its upper end, said first lower chamber outlet means opening into its upper end; a rell tube for said bowl leading from said second outlet means; means forming a small restricted passageway through which liquid from said inlet conduit may pass into said upper chamber whether or not liquid is passing from said inlet conduit into said lower chamber; a second valve housing; a second flexible diaphragm mounted therein dividing said second housing into a second upper chamber and a second lower chamber, said second lower chamber having an outlet for emptying liquid onto the outside of said hush tube, said diaphragm having an upwardly tapered oriiice therethrough; a

tapered needle Valve mounted with clearance in and to close said orifice in said second diaphragm; iloat means in said tank adapted to move and to be moved by said needle valve; and a conduit of restricted area connecting together the upper chambers of said iirst and second housings.

9. In a quietly operating valve mechanism for filling a tank with liquid to a predetermined level, the combination of: a rst valve housing; a second valve housing; a flexible diaphragm mounted generally horizontally therein to divide each of said housings into a respective upper chamber and lower chamber, each of said lower chambers having outlet means therein emptying into said tank; a generallyY vertical inlet'conduit opening into the lower chamber of said iirst housing the outlet oriiice of said conduit being engaged and closed by said diaphragm when said diaphragm is flexed downwardly and being uncovered and opened by said diaphragm when said diaphragm is flexed upwardly, said inlet conduit having greater capacity than the outlet means of said rst lower chamber, so that the liquid in said lower chamber is under pressure whenever said conduit orice is uncovered; means forming a small restricted passageway about 0.003 inch to 0.005 inch in diameter through which liquid from said inlet conduit may pass into the upper chamber in said first housing, whether or not liquid is passing from said inlet conduit into said first lower chamber; an upwardly tapered orice through said diaphragm in said second Valve housing; a tapered needle valve mounted with clearance of about 0.02 inch in a guide way in the lower portion of said second housing and having its valve portion movable to open, to restrict, and to close said orifice through said second diaphragm; float means in said tank adapted to move and to be moved by said needle valve; and a conduit of restricted area connecting together the upper chambers of said rst and second housings.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 551,577 Chamberlain Dec. 17, 1895 1,248,650 Gustafson Dec. 4, 1917 1,426,093 Owens Aug. 15, 1922 2,213,753 Teahen Sept. 3, 1940 2,328,323 Bowers Aug. 31, 1943 2,593,195 Smith May 27, 1952 

